ASDA Fires Employee For Not Being Religious

It seems that ASDA have a zero tolerance policy (which is kind of ironic given the circumstances) when it comes to staff posts on social media.

Brian Leach, an Asda Dewsbury employee of five years, was fired for a social media post.

His crime?

Sharing a Billy Connolly video on Facebook (note he did not share it on inhouse intranet).

The video showed Connolly's anti religion sketch of a a few years ago, in which he rails against Christianity and Islam.

For reasons best known to a particular member of staff, she decided she would report it to ASDA; which then decided the sketch (and therefore Mr Leach) was anti Islamic and a breach of ASDA's "tolerance" policy.

Irrespective of the fact that Mr Leach apologised to ASDA, the offended female and removed his post from his own Facebook page, he was still fired.

He was quoted by the Mirror:

"She was upset. I was aware that she was upset.

I was then pulled into a meeting a couple of weeks later on 9 May in Dewsbury and then on Wednesday, 19 June, I was summarily dismissed without notice following a disciplinary meeting for breaching the company's social media policy.

I'm really upset and I would love to know what Billy Connolly would think about what has happened to me.

I didn't have enough money to join a union so I have not been able to appeal the decision."

His apology to bosses read:

"I fully acknowledge my sharing of material online within my Facebook account regarding religion has upset many people and understand it to be a very serious breach of the company social media policy.

In mitigation, I immediately removed the item causing offence and removed the association with Asda on my profile, also removing Colleagues from Facebook friendship who may have been deeply offended by such post.

I have spoken to affected Colleagues apologising for my post, taking their feedback onboard. I have realised people's faiths are very important to them, and the nature of the post regarding the sensitive nature of it relating to the holy place of Islam.

If I had faith I can imagine being very upset myself.

Saying that the post shared is a joke by Billy Connelly (sic) not my personal views. But I recognise how colleagues may think this is my view. As a result I will think very carefully before posting online or saying anything that could be interpreted as hurtful to others and my place of work."

An Asda spokesman said:

"We would never comment on individual circumstances.

However we do not tolerate any form of discrimination from colleagues or customers and take such behaviour extremely seriously.”

It seems to me that ASDA is guilty of showing intolerance and discrimination here, against a man who is not religious!

Visit The Orifice of Government Commerce and buy a collector's item.

Visit The Joy of Lard and indulge your lard fantasies.

Show your contempt for Nanny by buying a T shirt or thong from Nanny's Store.

www.nannyknowsbest.com is brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"

Visit Oh So Swedish Swedish arts and handicrafts

Why not really indulge yourself, by doing all the things that Nanny really hates? Click on the relevant link to indulge yourselves; Food, Bonking, Gifts and Flowers, Groceries